Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the benefits of HS2 to the Crewe-Chester-Holyhead rail route; and when such potential benefits will be realised.

baroness vere of norbiton: Plans would see passengers benefitting from an HS2 interchange at Crewe, with shorter journey times, including to London, Birmingham, the towns and cities of the Midlands and other communities across the UK. The HS2 interchange at Crewe will improve connectivity with places on the Crewe-Chester-Holyhead rail route. In August 2019 the government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. The Government will make a decision on HS2 shortly.

Electric Scooters

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their planned timetable for the introduction of legislation to regulate the use of electric scooters and other similar vehicles.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published on 19 March 2019, includes a commitment to conduct a Regulatory Review to address the challenges of ensuring our transport infrastructure and regulation are fit for the future.One strand of this will look at options for enabling uptake of safe and sustainable micromobility devices. A consultation is planned to be issued shortly. No timetable for the introduction of legislation for micromobility has been set as this is dependent on the outcomes of the consultation.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the DVLA will not refuse tax renewals for those people in Northern Ireland who have not been able to have MOT assessments in Northern Ireland because of any ongoing difficulties in Motor Testing Centres there.

baroness vere of norbiton: It is a legal requirement for customers to license their vehicles if they are being used or kept on a public road. Motorists who have been issued with temporary exemption certificates by the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland will be able to license their vehicles.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Camden

lord berkeley: Her Majesty's Government why works in connection with HS2 and Granby Terrace bridge were transferred from the scope of the work being undertaken by Skanska Costain Strabag JV, as the main works contractors, to that of Costain Skanska JV, as the enabling works contractor.

baroness vere of norbiton: The HS2 works to Granby Terrace bridge, which include the partial demolition of the existing bridge and the construction of a new extension over the HS2 alignment, was scope originally allocated to the Early Works Contractor Costain Skanska JV (CSJV). To enable the efficient delivery of the HS2 works, HS2 Ltd reviews which of its Contractors is best placed to deliver specific scope items where there is an opportunity to deliver cost savings, schedule benefits or reduce interface risks. Following careful consideration, HS2 Ltd concluded that the Main Works Civils Contractor (Skanska Costain Strabag JV) is better placed to undertake the works because of the benefits to the overall HS2 programme and therefore decided to transfer the scope.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government whether they expect HS2to be completed (1) on time, and (2) on budget.

baroness vere of norbiton: In 2019 the Government announced an independent review into HS2, led by Douglas Oakervee. Once the Government has fully considered the review’s findings, including whether and how to proceed with the project, further announcements will be made on any likely funding requirements and anticipated timescales for delivery.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government what they estimate the total final cost of HS2 will be to the Exchequer.

baroness vere of norbiton: To ensure transparency around the project, we have provided our latest cost and schedule estimates for HS2 to the National Audit Office who reported on the programme last week. These estimates depend, among other things, on the scope of what, if anything, the Government decides to build and which risks come to pass. In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2, including a rigorous examination of costs and schedule. The Government will make a decision on HS2 shortly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government when HS2 will be completed.

baroness vere of norbiton: To ensure transparency around the project, we have provided our latest schedule and cost estimates for HS2 to the National Audit Office who reported on the programme last week. These estimates depend, among other things, on the scope of what, if anything, the Government decides to build and which risks come to pass. In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. The Government will make a decision shortly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government whether HS2 Limited has revised any existing agreements with contractors.

baroness vere of norbiton: HS2 Ltd has managed a very large number of contracts in support of the delivery of a high speed railway. These contracts cover a wide supply base, dealing with a variety of activities. As with all projects, change is inevitable and it follows that changes will result in revisions to existing HS2 Ltd contracts.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government how much has been spent on HS2 to date; and how much they estimate the programme would cost to cancel immediately.

baroness vere of norbiton: As at 31st March 2019, £7.4bn (excluding construction VAT) had been spent on the HS2 rail project. In August 2019 the Government announced an independent review of HS2 led by Douglas Oakervee. The review was asked to consider, among other things, whether and how to proceed with the project. The Government will make a decision shortly.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

lord truscott: Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to revise the proposed speed of HS2 trains.

baroness vere of norbiton: In August 2019 the Government commissioned the independent Oakervee Review to provide advice on whether and how to proceed with HS2. The Government will make a decision on HS2 shortly, and therefore no decision has been made to revise the proposed speed of HS2 trains.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Technology

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the technology involved in HS2 will be outdated by 2033.

baroness vere of norbiton: The core design for HS2, should it go ahead, is based on proven international technology for high speed rail, so as to contain risks to schedule and cost, but will use elements of new technologies wherever feasible to maximise benefits. These include a digital signalling system with increased safety compared to conventional signalling, automatic driving of trains to improve capacity and performance and an advanced Traffic Management system that will optimise the movement of trains on the network to ensure rapid recovery from perturbations. Because of the complexity and criticality of these systems, the development cycle of this technology is very long (decades rather than years) and we expect that HS2’s systems will still be considered ‘state-of-the-art’ when it opens. There are other areas of technology, such as passenger communications, entertainment and WIFI, which have a much shorter development cycle and today’s technology in this area is likely to be out-of-date by the 2030s. For this reason we have incorporated flexibility into our specifications for the rolling stock and stations to ensure that the latest technology can be included later in the programme, allowing HS2’s customers to benefit from future innovations. Decisions on such technology will be taken at the latest appropriate moment so that the programme is not put at risk.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Hillingdon

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: Her Majesty's Government what is the source of their most recent data regarding the flow of groundwater near the HS2 Harvil Road site; and whether this data has been made public.

baroness vere of norbiton: The source of the most recent groundwater flow data relating to the HS2 Harvil Road site is the ongoing measurement and monitoring of groundwater levels currently being undertaken by HS2 Ltd’s contractors. Measurement and monitoring at this site has been ongoing for 3 years. This data is not yet in the public domain.

*No heading*

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: Her Majesty's Government what data they collect about air pollution at, and near to, airports.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government has a national air quality monitoring network. In addition to this, local authorities undertake their own monitoring and have an obligation to review and assess local air quality and to take action where they have identified an air quality problem. Different airports have different obligations for monitoring and reporting air quality, with some reporting requirements necessary by law through planning obligations. Results of this monitoring are shared with stakeholders and are available online. In the Aviation Strategy, the Government is considering a broad range of national aviation-related air quality initiatives including proposals to improve the monitoring of air pollution around airports.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Retail Trade: Small Businesses

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to promote small independent shops.

lord duncan of springbank: Government recognises the Retail Sector is changing. We are committed to helping communities adapt and also supporting all parts of the retail sector during this change.The industry-led Retail Sector Council provides a single source of strategic liaison between BEIS, on behalf of all relevant government departments, and retailers. All retail activity in the UK, including small independent shops, is represented on the Council.The Council aims to accelerate positive change, increase the productivity of the sector, and ensure the sector remains robust and sustainable to continue providing a beneficial service to consumers and the community.We have announced a £3.6 billion Towns Fund, including an accelerated £1 billion Future High Streets Fund, which will support local areas in England to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability. We are promoting small independent shops through initiatives such as the Great British High Street Awards, which has been won by Welsh High Streets for the past two years.We are also supporting local leadership with a High Streets Task Force, giving high streets and town centres expert advice to adapt and thrive.For one year from 1 April 2020, eligible small retailers will benefit from a 50% retail discount off their business rates bills. This is an increase on the one third off bills available through the retail discount scheme in 2019/20. In addition, the Government has doubled the threshold for 100% small business rates relief, meaning more than 675,000 of the smallest businesses, including many independent shops, pay no rates at all.

Business: Regulation

lord tyrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that the interests of (1) consumers, and (2) competition, inform the Brexit red tape challenge.

lord duncan of springbank: The Conservative Manifesto stated that “Through our Red Tape Challenge, we will ensure that regulation is sensible and proportionate, and that we always consider the needs of small businesses when devising new rules, using our new freedom after Brexit to ensure that British rules work for British companies.” We shall announce further details of the Challenge in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Embassies

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following reports of the arrest of a 15 year old girl outside the British consulate in Hong Kong, what plans they have to publish the legal advice which informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's conclusion that the arrest occurred on land which has no special status under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: As a matter of course, the Government does not publish its legal advice.

Egypt: Detainees

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reply they received from the government of Egypt when the British Ambassador in Cairo raised concerns about the imprisonment of Essam and Gehad el Haddad.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Our Ambassador to Cairo raised concerns over the cases of Dr Essam El Haddad and his son Gehad El Haddad with the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights in July 2019. He responded that he would convey these to the relevant authorities.

Yemen: Armed Conflict

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the current situation in Yemen, following the briefing by the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, to an emergency session of the UN Security Council on 28 January, in which he warned that the ongoing military escalation "had to end" and that efforts to support de-escalation and confidence-building in the country were in jeopardy; and what action they are taking to support the peace process in Yemen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are concerned about recent heavy clashes in the Nehm and Al-Jawf regions and fully support the UN Special Envoy’s statement of 22 January calling on the parties to adhere to their commitments and avoid further escalation. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa issued a statement condemning the increased fighting and met with the UN Special Envoy on 27 January. The UK requested the emergency session of the UN Security Council on 28 January to discuss with international partners how to respond to this development. We are engaging with the parties to appeal for calm. We urge all sides to refrain from destabilising military activity, return to de-escalation efforts, and work with the UN Special Envoy towards a political solution.

Saudi Arabia: Hacking

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the proposal byAgnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions and Extrajudicial Killings, and David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, on 22 January for a full investigation into the government of Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the hacking of Jeff Bezos’ phone, what support they are offering to facilitate any such investigation.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst any allegation of phone hacking is a concern, the alleged hacking is not a matter for the British Government.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest policyon the Chagos Islands; and what assessment they have made of theUN General Assembly's resolution 73/295 Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, of 22 May 2019.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have no doubt about our sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. We have made a long-standing commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.We were disappointed this matter was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), contrary to the principle that the Court should not consider bilateral disputes without the consent of both States concerned. The United Kingdom respects the ICJ and participated fully in the advisory proceedings in good faith. However, we do not share the ICJ's approach and have made known our views on the content of the opinion, including its insufficient regard to significant material facts and legal issues. The ICJ's opinion is advisory and not legally binding. Resolution 73/295 does not and cannot create any legal obligations for UN Member States.

Gaza: Armed Conflict

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number of civilian deaths, and (2) the amount of damage to civilian structures, in Gaza caused by bombing by the Israel Defence Force in 2020 to date.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are very concerned at the numbers of Palestinians killed by Israel Defense Forces in the West Bank and Gaza. We have raised the issue with the Israeli authorities, encouraging them to carry out transparent investigations into whether the use of live fire had been appropriate. We have also stressed the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. Any attacks targeted against civilians are unlawful and unjustifiable. While Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence, it is vital that all its actions are proportionate, in line with International Humanitarian Law, and are calibrated to avoid civilian casualties.

Gaza: Floods

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the damage caused to (1) crops, and (2) livestock, in Gaza following therelease of water fromrainwater collection dams by the government of Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made an assessment of this situation, we remain concerned about the quality and quantity of water available to residents of Gaza and the West Bank. The fair and effective distribution of shared water resources across the Middle East is of great concern to us. These resources are limited and therefore require the effective co-operation of all parties to manage them in such a manner that ensures there will be enough for all. The UK continues to encourage Israel to lift its restrictions and take appropriate steps in order to ease the suffering of ordinary Palestinians.

Khalida Jarrar

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about the treatment of Khalida Jarrar during her recent detention by that government.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made any representations to the Government of Israel on this specific case, we have concerns about mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, and about Israel’s respect of its obligations as an occupying power, under applicable international law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have raised the treatment of Palestinians in Israeli prisons with the Israeli authorities, most recently on 16 December 2019. We emphasise the importance of treating prisoners and detainees humanely and in accordance with international law.

West Bank: Schools

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they plan to make to the government of Israel about reports of a raid on a school in Deir Nizam on 19 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not raised this case specifically, we regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities about Israel's use of force in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have stressed the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children.

Israel: Bedouin

baroness tonge: Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the stopping of school buses serving villages in the southern Negev region by that government.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are following the issue of unresolved Bedouin land claims, unrecognised Bedouin villages in the Negev and lack of or interruption to basic services. We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities and Bedouin communities to engage in dialogue to find satisfactory solutions.

Hong Kong: Politics and Government

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government, further to their Six-monthly Report on Hong Kong: January to June 2017, published on 14 September 2017, whether their position remains that "the best way to secure the long-term future of 'One Country, Two Systems' is through a transition to universal suffrage which meets the aspirations of the people of Hong Kong, within the parameters of Basic Law."

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains fully committed to upholding Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms underpinned by the legally binding Joint Declaration of 1984 and the “One Country, Two Systems” framework set out in the Hong Kong Basic Law. The statement in question from the Six-monthly report on Hong Kong published in September 2017 relating to universal suffrage remains the position of Her Majesty's Government.

Hong Kong: Embassies

lord alton of liverpool: Her Majesty's Government, following reports of the arrest of a 15 year old girl outside theBritish consulatein Hong Kong, what steps they have taken to ensure that she was not subjected to ill-treatment at the hands of the Hong Kong Police Force.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has repeatedly made clear that we support the right to peaceful and lawful protest. As in all overseas missions, we maintain regular contact with the police about the security of our buildings and staff. As I stated on 15 January, any arrests and judicial processes should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. We have made clear that we expect the Hong Kong authorities abide by international humanitarian laws and practices. ​

Burma: Portia Management Services

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL306), whether they have asked Portia Management Services to end its business relationship with the Myanmar military.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Military and military linked companies are entrenched in the Myanmar economy. Relationships are often opaque and it can be extremely difficult to clearly identify ownership. Nevertheless we continue to urge individual companies to ensure that they are not dealing directly with military owned companies. Our Embassy has written to all British companies, including Portia Management Services, to stress the importance of undertaking robust due diligence. We will continue to offer advice and support to British businesses on responsible investment in Myanmar.

Department of Health and Social Care

Nurses

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many registered nurses there are in England.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses, midwives and nursing associates. The NMC’s last registration data report, published 30 September 2019, showed 518,980 registered nurses with a home address in England.

Better Care Fund

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the expenditure at constant prices of the Better Care Fund for each financial year since its inception; what is the expected expenditure of that Fund in the current year; and what is the forecast expenditure for financial year 2020/21.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The total expenditure through the Better Care Fund (BCF) from 2015-16 to 2018-19 in nominal and constant prices is set out in the following table. This includes National Health Service clinical commissioning group (CCG) contributions, the Disabled Facilities Grant, the improved BCF and additional voluntary NHS and local government contributions.In 2019-20, the BCF will be a minimum of £6.422 billion in nominal prices. This excludes voluntary contributions, which were over £2 billion in 2018-19.For 2020-21, the 2019 Spending Round announced that the NHS CCG minimum allocations would continue into 2020-21 with a real-terms increase of 3.4%, and that the improved Better Care Fund would be maintained at flat cash.  Total BCF Contribution Nominal prices2018/19 prices2015/16£5.3 billion£5.7 billion2016/17£5.9 billion£6.1 billion2017/18£7.3 billion£7.5 billion2018/19£7.7 billion£7.7 billion

Department for Education

Schools: Food

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in updating their School Food Standards to reduce sugar consumption, as set out in their childhood obesity plan for action, published in June 2018.

lord agnew of oulton: We are working with Public Health England to update the School Food Standards in relation to sugar and fibre.On 7 May and 6 November 2019, we brought together an advisory group comprising of key stakeholders in the food, nutrition and health sectors. These stakeholders hold a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise in relation to school food. This was to discuss the proposed updates to the standards; we are considering those views and the next steps.We will release more information on our plans for the update shortly.

Faith Schools: Peterborough

lord watson of invergowrie: Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with Peterborough Council prior to that authority's decision to plan to open the first fully religiously selective Government-funded faith school since 2010.

lord agnew of oulton: It has always been possible to establish new schools that can prioritise up to 100% of admissions on the basis of faith criteria and a number of these have opened since 2010. It is for a schools admissions authority to decide whether they will use faith-based admissions criteria or not.Regarding Peterborough City Council’s decision to approve the proposals for a new Catholic voluntary aided school on 6 January 2020, we gave approval in principle in June 2019 to provide funding to the Roman Catholic Diocese of East Anglia (RCDEA) for a new Catholic primary school. The department publishes guidance on how to take these decisions in the opening and closing maintained schools guidance. Local authorities are best placed to decide whether a proposed school meets the needs of its local community.Guidance is attached and available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-organisation-maintained-schools.



HL730_guidance
(PDF Document, 592.95 KB)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to consult on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

viscount younger of leckie: The Government has been working closely with interested parties across the UK whilst developing the fund. Government officials have held 25 engagement events across the UK, attended by over five hundred representatives from a breadth of sectors, which has helped inform progress on policy design The Government intends to bring forward plans on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund shortly.

Community Relations

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to involve civil society in the development of successful integration (1) under the five integration areas outlined in the Integration Area Programme, and (2) more generally.

viscount younger of leckie: The work of civil society partners is integral to the positive work my department leads to build thriving, integrated communities in places across the country. Listening to, and acting on, what local voices can tell us about their place and their lives is at the heart of this government’s approach to tackling the complex reasons why some groups do less well at school, earn less at work, or are more likely to be victims of crime. MHCLG’s Integration Area programme is a good example of this. Each Integration Area has created a Local Integration Partnership, with membership drawn from local businesses, charities, faith organisations and many others who possess the experience, expertise and understanding of the whole community in their place. This enables the areas to build in representation from all communities and sectors – including across the civil society landscape - and ensure everyone who wants to, is able to input on the ambitious local integration strategies and other work being developed through this innovative programme.

Universities: Antisemitism

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick not to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism following reports of antisemitic incidents at that University and the call by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for cuts to funding of those universities that fail to adopt the definition.

viscount younger of leckie: There is no place in our society - including within higher education – for hatred or any form of harassment, discrimination or racism, including antisemitism.In October this year the Communities Secretary wrote to all universities to urge them to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. This followed a letter from the Universities Minister in May regarding antisemitism in higher education.We expect all Higher Education Providers to discharge their responsibilities fully and to have robust policies and procedures in place to comply with the law, to investigate and swiftly address hate crime, including any antisemitic incidents that are reported. We will continue to work with universities to ensure we stamp out antisemitism in all its forms.That is why we will be providing an additional £500,000 of government funding to allow 200 university students each year to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, to hear from the last Holocaust survivors and to help educate students on the importance of continuing to tackle antisemitism on campuses.

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Stedman-Scott on 28 January (HL402), whether the results of the benefits cap evaluation will be publishedby the end of April 2020.

baroness stedman-scott: We are aiming to publish the results of the two strands of benefit cap evaluation by Summer 2020.

State Retirement Pensions

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many people aged (a) 75–84, (b) 85–94, and (c) 95 and over, will be affected by the removal of the Adult Dependency Increase on 6 April; (2) how much money will those affected lose; and (3) what provisions are being put in place to help those affected.

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government when recipients of the Adult Dependency Increase (ADI) were notified of the removal of the ADI on 6 April; and how was such notice communicated.

baroness jolly: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money they will save by ending the provision of the Adult Dependency Increase on 6 April; and what estimate they have made, if any, of the costs of tapering off such provision.

baroness stedman-scott: As at May 2019, the latest data available, the numbers of people in receipt of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases, and the average weekly amount of Adult Dependency Increase they were in receipt of, is shown in the table below.  CaseloadAverage Weekly AmountUnder 75 years1,180£61.6075 to 84 years8,330£57.3485 to 94 years1,260£53.8395 years and above40£46.69Total10,810£57.36 By April 2020 this number will already have decreased further as, for example, some adult dependents will reach their State Pension age before then.As at autumn 2019, 6,440 people were in receipt of, or had an underlying entitlement to, an Adult Dependency Increases for Carer’s Allowance. Those who lose their Adult Dependency Increase, either in April 2020 or before then, may be able to access income-related benefits to top up their household income, depending on their circumstances. For those already in receipt of income-related benefits, their awards will be adjusted to take account of the removal of the Adult Dependency Increase. Claimants who receive income-related benefits may also be entitled to 'passported' benefits to help with, for example, housing costs or heating costs. Income-related benefits are an important protection for the incomes of some of our most vulnerable people. We are encouraging people who live overseas to consider if they may be entitled to any additional benefits or support from the country where they reside. State Pension Adult Dependency Increases were abolished by the Pensions Act 2007 from April 2010. Carer’s Allowance Adult Dependency Increases were abolished by the Welfare Reform Act 2009 from April 2010. However, transitional provisions were included for both benefits which allow existing claimants from April 2010 to continue receiving Adult Dependency Increases until April 2020. Information about the ending of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases has been available on the Government website at www.gov.uk. Furthermore, State Pension recipients in the UK have also been informed about the changes to State Pension Adult Dependency Increases within the annual uprating notifications, which have been sent to them since 2010. We have also included this information in annual uprating notifications sent to overseas State Pension recipients since 2018. We sent specific letters to those affected by the State Pension and Carer Allowance changes during May/June 2019, and a further letter was sent out in October 2019. The ending of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases was part of a package of reforms contained in the Pensions Act 2007 that improved the State Pension position for both women and carers. The savings from ending the provision of State Pension Adult Dependency Increases are estimated to be £125m between 2020/21 and 2024/25, based on analysis from 2018. This only reflects savings on ADI expenditure and does not take into account any offsetting impacts on other benefits. We have not done a detailed costing of the costs of tapering provision for Adult Dependency Increases. However, we estimate that the cost of continuing to pay State Pension Adult Dependency Increases until all dependents reach their State Pension age would be in the region of £200m to £250m

Agriculture: Industrial Accidents

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many peoplewere (1) killed, or (2) seriously injured, due to accidents in the agriculture sector in each year since 2000.

baroness stedman-scott: The available data is published at https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/history/index.htm but reproduced in the tables below. Table 1: Number of fatal injuries to both workers (employees and the self-employed) and members of the public in the agricultural sector (a), 2000/01-2018/19. Source: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).YearWorkersMembers of the public 2000/01467 2001/02392 2002/03353 2003/04446 2004/05373 2005/06338 2006/07337 2007/08462 2008/09255 2009/10395 2010/11348 2011/12356 2012/13315 2013/14274 2014/15324 2015/16272 2016/17263 2017/18r294 2018/19p327 Table 2: Number of reported (c) non-fatal injuries to workers (employees and the self-employed) in the agricultural sector (a), 2000/01-2018/19. Source: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). YearWorkers  2000/012,0532001/022,1952002/031,7682003/041,2752004/051,2412005/061,1452006/071,0482007/081,2032008/091,2302009/101,2872010/111,0352011/121,1872012/13 (b)9462013/14 (b)9572014/15 (b)1,0402015/16 (b)9942016/17 (b)9632017/18 (b)9222018/19p (b)902 Footnotes (a) Agriculture defined as Section A, Agriculture, forestry and fishing, of the 2007 Standard Industrial Classification. (b) Due to a major change in the RIDDOR reporting requirements in April 2012, injuries reported prior to 2012/13 are not directly comparable with later years. (c) RIDDOR requires employers to report certain workplace non-fatal injuries to workers, generally the more serious (current reporting requirements are for those injuries that result in more than 7 days absence from work or specified on a pre-defined list of injuries). It is known that employers substantially under-report these non-fatal injuries. (d) HSE does not publish estimates of reported non-fatal injuries to members of the public. Reporting of such incidents is highly variable by industry, with some sectors over-reporting and others under-reporting. Therefore, the count does not give a robust indication of risk to members of the public by industry sector. However, such reports continue to be received by the enforcing authorities and the decision for operational intervention is decided on a case-by-case basis. r- revised; p- provisional

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hill Farming

lord jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enhance the prospects of hill farmers after Brexit.

lord gardiner of kimble: Hill farmers will benefit from our future agriculture policies, along with other types of farmers and land managers. Having left the EU, we will replace the current subsidy system, which simply pays farmers based on the total amount of land farmed, and instead reward them for the work they do to enhance the environment and improve animal welfare. We will also help farmers to produce high quality food in a more sustainable way. Our upland landscapes and habitats are well placed to provide the public goods that are valued by society and our intention is that upland farmers will be sufficiently rewarded to deliver them. We want to give all farmers, including hill farmers in the uplands, as much certainty as possible. The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) (DPLC) Bill has received Royal Assent in January 2020. It will provide continuity for farmers across all upland areas in the UK and ensure farming subsidies are paid for 2020. Furthermore, we have guaranteed that any projects under CAP Pillar 2 where funding has been agreed before the end of 2020 will be funded for their full lifetime. This means that the Government will continue to fund farmers, land managers and rural businesses for these projects until they finish. Our Transition plans, as indicated in the new Agriculture Bill, are based on a seven-year Transition period. This will give hill farmers and land managers time to adapt and plan for the changes we need to make in moving to the new approach. During the transition we will offer financial assistance to enable upland farmers to invest in the equipment, technology and infrastructure that they need to improve their productivity, manage the environment sustainably and deliver other public goods. We will be also be investing over £1 million in 2020 in a package for farmers to support their business resilience and personal wellbeing as we go through these changes. Our new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will enable upland farmers to receive payment for the vital environmental public goods they provide, alongside the crucial role they play in vibrant communities and producing delicious food. Upland farmers play a vital role as stewards of the countryside. They already provide many environmental benefits, such as clean air and water, and help maintain our most iconic landscapes. Upland farmers will therefore be well placed to benefit from our new ELM scheme, which will reward farmers for the public goods they provide. Hill farms are an iconic part of our heritage. The new Agriculture Bill provides reassurance that hill farmers will be able to benefit for the service they provide in protecting our cultural and natural heritage.

Home Office

Care Homes: Fire Regulations

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of current fire regulations in protecting residents of both public and private care homes, particularly taking into account the prevalence of (1) reduced mobility, and (2) dementia, of such residents.

baroness williams of trafford: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to care homes and requires the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and put in place – and maintain – appropriate fire protection measures to mitigate the risk to life from fire. The fire risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure the ongoing fire safety of residents and staff, considering the physical and mental health of those on the premises. Government has made available guidance to support responsible persons in complying with the provisions of the Fire Safety Order, including specific guidance for those responsible for healthcare premises. The Home Office published a Call for Evidence on the Fire Safety Order in 2019 to test whether the legislation is fit for purpose for all premises within its scope and, where appropriate, is aligned to wider building safety regimes. The responses are being considered and a follow up consultation is planned for spring 2020.

Police: Biometrics

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to implement the recommendation of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner for England and Wales for there to be government inspections of the police’s use of facial recognition technology.

baroness williams of trafford: The government is committed to empowering the police to safely use new technologies such as automatic facial recognition within a strict legal framework. The government welcomes constructive proposals for improvements to the framework, while noting that the Information Commissioner conducted an investigation last year under the existing regime.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what International English Language Testing System level the Home Office requires overseas students attain in order for them to be granted student visas.

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK universities are permitted to use alternatives to the International English Language Testing System as means to assess the English language proficiency of potential overseas students.

baroness williams of trafford: To be eligible to enter the UK under Tier 4, an applicant must be able to demonstrate that they have a sufficient level of English to complete the proposed course of study.All Tier 4 (General) Students must prove they satisfy the minimum English language requirements against the Common European Framework for Reference for Languages (CEFR) in all four components (speaking, reading, writing and listening). Unless they meet the requirements to be exempt, a student must show they meet the minimum level of English at CEFR B2 to be eligible to study in the UK at degree level or above and at CEFR B1 to be eligible to study a course below degree level in the UK. Students can prove their English Language ability in different ways including taking a Secure English Language Test (SELT) from an approved test provider or their Tier 4 sponsor may conduct an assessment themselves, if eligible to do so. Tier 4 Higher Education Providers with a track record of compliance, are able to make their own assessment on the proficiency of an applicant in the English language, if a student is accessing a course of study at degree level or above. They must be satisfied an applicant is proficient in the English language to a minimum of CEFR B2 level in all four disciplines assessed by the International English Language Test. The provider is able to undertake its own assessment of the ability of an applicant to satisfy these criteria. There is no stipulation in the Immigration Rules relating to how this assessment must be made.

Immigration Controls

lord green of deddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to publish the new immigration rules that will come into effect on 1 January 2021;what arrangements will be made for Parliamentary scrutiny of those rules; and how they intend to seek Parliamentary approval of them.

baroness williams of trafford: Parliament will be able to scrutinise and approve any statement of changes to the Immigration Rules under the normal process in due course.We are reviewing the approach to Parliamentary engagement on the future immigration system, and further announcements will be made in due course.

Nationality: British Overseas Territories

baroness lister of burtersett: Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with British Overseas Territories about the access to citizenship by children of fathers from such territories who were not married to the children's mothers; and what plans they have to address this issue in any forthcoming immigration bill.

baroness williams of trafford: We are aware that the provisions regarding the children of unmarried British Overseas Territories Citizen fathers do not match those for British citizens, and have sought the views of the Overseas Territories on the issue. We will provide details of any suggested resolution to this matter in due course.

Knives: Crime

baroness jones of moulsecoomb: Her Majesty's Government what communications have had with (1) the police, and (2) third-sector organisations, about preventative, non-criminal justice approaches to reducing knife crime.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government is determined to tackle the scourge of knife crime and other serious violence, which is having a devastating effect on too many victims, families and communities. We are providing the police with the resources and powers they need, including recruiting an extra 20,000 officers over the next three years. Through regular dialogue with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and direct with forces themselves, we will continue to support the police and a wide range of other partners about the challenges they face in tackling serious violence. The Serious Violence Strategy, published in April 2018, put a new emphasis on prevention and early intervention alongside continuing, robust enforcement. We have also worked with voluntary sector organisations via continuous discussions and visits to support delivery under a number of funding streams. These include the Government’s anti-knife crime Community Fund, where we have supported 175 projects in local communities delivered by voluntary sector agencies to tackle knife crime in the three years since 2017/18. They also include the 40 projects under the £22 million Early Intervention Youth Fund, working with children and young people across England and Wales, which have been delivered by the third sector in some areas and local authorities in others and are supported by Police and Crime Commissioners. In addition, we are providing £200m over the next 10 years through a Youth Endowment Fund to focus on those most at risk of youth violence including those displaying signs such as truancy, aggression and involvement in anti-social behaviour in order to steer them away from becoming serious offenders. We have also invested £35 million from the £100 million Serious Violence Fund in Violence Reduction Units as a key component of our action to tackle the root causes of serious violence. Violence Reduction Units are non-statutory partnerships which offer leadership and strategic coordination of the local response to serious violence by bringing together police, local government, health and education professionals, community leaders and other key partners to identify the drivers of serious violence and agree a multi-agency response.

Migrant Workers: Arts

baroness bull: Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that the new points-based immigration system will support the creative industries sector; and in particular, how any such new system will take into account the needs of freelancers in that sector.

baroness williams of trafford: The Migration Advisory Committee report on the future point-based system and salary thresholds has been published. We are considering their recommendations very carefully.

Cabinet Office

Constituencies

lord rennard: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the most recent Parliamentary Boundary Commission Review.

earl howe: The final reports of the four Boundary Commissions in the 2018 Boundary Review were submitted to the Government and laid before Parliament in September 2018.The Government will continue to monitor closely the current legal proceedings in relation to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s final report.As we set out in our manifesto, the Government will ensure we have updated and equal parliamentary boundaries, making sure every vote has equal value.

Treasury

Financial Services

lord myners: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the effectiveness of authorised corporate directors of open-ended investment funds in providing investor protection.

the earl of courtown: The government is committed to ensuring that the UK has a robust framework for financial regulation and that consumers are treated fairly. The FCA is responsible for overseeing the conduct standards of financial services firms.   ‘Host’ Authorised Corporate Directors (ACDs) are Authorised Fund Managers which are not within the group structure of the delegate investment manager. The FCA is currently reviewing how effectively ‘host’ ACDs undertake their responsibilities. The FCA expects to complete this work in the first half of 2020.

Tourism: VAT

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received about the case for reducing VAT applicable to the UK tourism industry.

the earl of courtown: At Spring Statement 2018, the Government launched a call for evidence on the impact of VAT and APD on tourism in NI, which also considered UK-wide changes. The Government received over 80 individual responses to this call for evidence from a wide range of stakeholders, including trade organisations, public sector bodies, campaign groups and wider industry. The response to the call for evidence was published at Budget 2018.

Financial Services: Greater London

lord taylor of warwick: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to ensure that London is the top global financial centre after the UK has left the EU.

the earl of courtown: The government is committed to the long-term success of the UK as a global centre for financial services. As we leave the EU, we will make the most of the opportunities to build on the UK financial services sector’s strengths of innovation, resilience, and openness, ensuring that it delivers prosperity to every region and nation in the UK. We are seeking to agree a deal with the EU that keeps us as the financial hub for Europe, securing market access where our markets are most integrated through EU equivalence decisions and stabilising these decisions through a Free Trade Agreement. The sector’s long-term success will be driven by the markets of the future, such as fintech and green finance, and we will continue to work with industry through initiatives such as the Green Finance Institute to cement the UK’s world-leading position. To ensure the sector has the long-term skills to underpin its global competitiveness, we will work closely with the sector and the new Skills Commission, proposed by the Financial Services Skills Task Force, to drive collective progress on this important issue.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Gambling

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the "gamblification" of sport, and (2) the number of gambling companies which sponsor football clubs.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of gambling companies sponsoring sports venues and football clubs.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the promotion of gambling advertisements by sport stars on the propensity of children to gamble.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of gambling sponsorship appearing on football players' shirts.

the lord bishop of st albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include the "gamblification" of sport as part of their review of the Gambling Act 2005.

baroness barran: The government has committed to a review of the Gambling Act 2005 to make sure it is fit for the digital age. We will announce further details in due course. Gambling sponsorship of sports teams, and advertising around sport, must be socially responsible and must never be targeted at children or vulnerable people. The government has also made clear that sporting bodies must consider their responsibilities to fans when entering commercial arrangements. The Gambling Commission has issued licences to 2,690 gambling operators. Government does not hold figures on how many of these operators have entered into commercial sponsorship agreements with football clubs but across the 92 clubs in the top four leagues of English football (the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two) 34 clubs had front or back shirt sponsorship deals with gambling operators (some of which sponsor multiple teams) for the current season. The Football Association has strict rules about the size and placement of sponsor logos on all players’ shirts, and prohibits any reference to gambling or gambling operators on shirts for teams where all players are under 18 years old. It has taken action where the logos of gambling sponsors have been found to breach these rules. The gambling industry code for socially responsible advertising also requires that operators’ logos must not appear on any commercial merchandising which is designed for children (for instance in children’s sizes). In August 2019 the code was amended to include a whistle to whistle ban on broadcast advertising around live sport. In 2018 and 2019 the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) published strengthened guidance on gambling advertising and the protection of vulnerable people and of children and young people. The guidance makes clear that content likely to appeal particularly to children is unacceptable and explicitly states that gambling advertising cannot feature sports people who are, or appear to be, under 25 years old. The Advertising Standards Agency has also said it will look closely at advertising that features sports personalities who have a significant profile amongst under 18s and will continue to take action where these rules are breached. Further research on the impact of marketing and advertising on children, young people and other vulnerable people, including whether and how advertising influences attitudes to gambling, is due to be published this spring.

Digital Technology: Sales

lord birt: Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require technology companies selling consumer devices to state at the point of sale how long they will continue to provide software updates which will allowsuch devices to continue to function.

baroness barran: On 27 January 2020, DCMS published a response to their regulatory consultation on increasing the baseline cyber security of Consumer Internet of Things (IoT) security. The regulatory proposals advocated that all consumer IoT devices embed important security requirements. These requirements are set out in the Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security, published by my department in March 2018, and ETSI TS 103 645, the first globally applicable standard for consumer IoT security. One of these guidelines would require manufacturers of IoT devices to explicitly state the minimum length of time for which the device will receive security updates, with that information clearly displayed at the point of sale. Responses to the consultation showed widespread support for the introduction of such a baseline, as a significant step towards protecting consumers and enabling the IoT sector to grow and flourish. As such, DCMS are seeking to bring forward legislation to mandate these guidelines as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Theatres

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to regional theatres in England.

baroness barran: Government funding for arts organisations and individuals is provided through our arm’s length body, Arts Council England (ACE). In the past five years, ACE has invested over £650 million in theatres in England, of which almost £400 million was to theatres outside of London. Theatres across England have also benefited from the introduction of the Theatre Tax Relief (TTR), which is helping to support the increase of theatre productions, especially via touring. Since the introduction of the TTR in 2014, £208 million has been paid out relating to 2,520 claims, which represents 8,395 productions.

Football: Females

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what supportthey are giving to women’s football.

baroness barran: We are determined to encourage more women and girls to get active, something we set out in our sport strategy, Sporting Future. Football is a popular choice for women and girls to get active: it is the second most popular team sport in terms of participation for adult women, and the top ranked team sport in terms of participation for girls. It is also growing in appeal for spectators with a record total audience of 28.1 million tuning in to watch the BBC coverage of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.Through our national sports council, Sport England, the government is investing £24.6m in The Football Association over the course of 2016-21 for its work on grassroots participation, the football talent pathway, and coaching programmes. Within this, there is no specific ring-fencing of funding between men's and women's programmes, apart from £2.6m which is specifically reserved for women and girls talent programmes.Sport England has also awarded The FA £544,500 to date to deliver The FA FIVES national promotion programme, a mass participation five a side football competition linked to EURO 2020. Its aim is to provide opportunities throughout England for men and women to take part in a fun, friendly football event.Separately, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport invested £18m in football facilities through the Football Foundation in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019. It is not possible to separate out the investment amounts by gender.The Government has also committed to investing £550m into grassroots football facilities, for all ages and genders, over the next 10 years to support plans to bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.

Football

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they aregiving to non-league football

baroness barran: The Government is committed to supporting all levels of football including non-league. We have an established partnership with the Football Association and the Premier League focused on investment into community facilities, the Government contributing £18m each year. The three-way partnership sees a combined £70m go to new facilities delivered by the Football Foundation charity each year. The charity has coverage across the country with funding reaching 98% of all local authorities and boroughs in England. The Government has also committed to investing £550m into grassroots football facilities, for all ages and genders, over the next 10 years to support plans to bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.

Football: Clubs

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the number of staff employed by Premiership or Championship football clubs that are paid less than the living wage.

baroness barran: DCMS has not made an assessment of the number of staff employed by Premiership or Championship football clubs that are paid less than the living wage. The National Living Wage is the statutory minimum wage for those aged 25 and over, and the Government is committed to ensuring that everyone entitled to the National Living Wage receives it. It is up to individual businesses to decide whether they would like to pay employees under the age of 25 the National Living Wage.

Disinformation: Internet

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce legislation to establish the difference between free speech and false information online.

baroness barran: The UK supports freedom of expression, both as a fundamental right and as an essential enabler of the full range of other human rights protected by UK and international law. The Online Harms White Paper, published in April 2019, outlines our proposals for a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. The regulator will have a responsibility to protect freedom of expression. Our approach will support more people to access their right to freedom of expression, by reducing the risk of being attacked on the basis of their identity. The counter-disinformation measures proposed in the White Paper are focused on protecting users from harm, not judging what is true or false.